A sweet day out on the salt with willing stripers

Yesterday morning was just perfect as I stood on a Chatham pier, with a southwest breeze and a brilliant red sun rising in the east. I was with Jean Taubert, her son Billy, and my grandson Zac.

We went out aboard the 23-foot Brandy Ellen searching for striped bass. Those linesiders are sought after by so many because they fight hard and are a nice white meat that is great table fare.

We steamed to an area I have fished only once called the Ever shoals off Monomoy. It was a 12-mile run which was not so easy with a 10-20 mph wind and 2-4 foot seas that pushed into our face for the first eight miles. We were getting knocked about pretty good out there and It was bad enough that we almost turned back. But then the ocean lay down and we had a great day.

We would use live pogies for a while that produced four good stripers to 27 pounds. High hook was Jean at this point in the day and she was feeling pretty good about it now with the action slacking off.

The action did not slack off for bluefish as we hit them at every turn. The entire area of Chatham to Monomoy is bluefish, so if it's blues you are chasing here they are. I caught a small one at six pounds but Zac nailed a beauty at 14 pounds, a giant. All of our pogies were slaughtered by the aggressive blues. We saw blues on the surface hitting everything we threw at them.

We started jigging orange hochies with a pork rind trailer and this brought more bass action. You had to be aggressive on your jigging action with a quick short stroke to make it work.

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Several more keepers were caught but Jean stayed high hook for the day.

Moose bids due

The deadline for the 2014 N.H. Moose Hunt Auction is fast approaching, so if you want a chance to hunt moose in New Hampshire this fall, it's time to get your bid in. Two moose hunt permits are available through the annual auction, which benefits the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire. Bids must be received by August 8. Official bid guidelines and documents can be had by calling 603-496-2778.

As the official nonprofit partner of the N.H. Fish and Game Department, the foundation is authorized to auction up to five permits to the five highest bidders. Proceeds from the auction help support critical fish and wildlife conservation initiatives and education programs of the N.H. Fish and Game Department, such as Canine Search & Rescue, Barry Conservation Camp, Owl Brook Hunter Education Center, the Great Bay Discovery Center, Orphan Bear Cub Rehabilitation Center, Operation Land Share and much more.

Last year, the auction garnered bids from nine states, with the highest bid at $10,000. Winners came from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin and Washington.

Successful bidders in the 2014 auction will need to show proof of a previous hunting license or a certificate of completion of an approved hunter education training program. Winning auction permit holders will be able to harvest one moose of either sex in a wildlife management unit of their choice, and will be responsible for purchasing their own 2014 New Hampshire hunting license to accompany their moose permit.

Individuals who received a permit in the 2014 New Hampshire moose hunt lottery are subject to the rules of the lottery, and will not be eligible to participate in the auction. A portion of a winning bid may be tax deductible as a charitable donation; potential bidders should check with their tax advisors to determine eligibility.

If you have an interest in hunting elk in Pennsylvania this year you must apply by July 31, to make it happen. Non residents can get in on the action and if you are drawn the success rate is up near 89%.

If you are planning on antlerless deer permits for Maine you now must apply online only. You have until August 15 to do so or wait until next year. The state will issue 37,000 permits.

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